Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Review Tuesday: The Church / The Psychedelic Furs at Westbury 08/19/2015

I had a long dry spell without seeing any live acts, then this massive cluster of shows over the course of three weeks. This might be the last show I attend for a while...


NYCB Theater
at Westbury
960 Brush Hollow Rd, Westbury, NY 11590
August 19, 2015

Those who have been around a while in NY should be familiar with Westbury Music Fair. It's now a LiveNation venue that seems to sell it's naming rights every couple years or so. Currently New York Community Bank holds that honor. This theater isn't very large and has a round stage in the middle. It's fairly intimate and every seat has a good view. For some performances, the stage rotates, but not on the night I went. It was stationary and they had around a quarter of the theater cordoned off. Back there was where the bands chilled and the equipment was stored. 

First on stage...

THE CHURCH
Someone told me that Westbury Theater is a venue that is run tightly by the union and that I should expect everything to run perfectly on schedule. Since doors opened at 7:00 PM, THE CHURCH was scheduled to hit the stage just after 8:00. They did so. Partway into their opening song they stopped the show. You could see that the entire band was distressed over something. They announced that the mix had changed since the sound-check and it was impossible to continue under those circumstances. They walked off stage for about ten minutes while the crew ran around trying to fix things to a chorus of BA-BA-BOOEYS from the crowd. 


When THE CHURCH did return to the stage, they did so promising to perform their full set, but going back to their opening number from the point they stopped, mid-song. 


I am not a huge fan of THE CHURCH, but they are considered a new wave / alternative / post-psychedelic rock band that had their biggest days during the 1980s, so I was very aware of them and their music. Originally from Australia, the band had gone through some member changes over the years. Their sound is the same. Steve Kilbey, who now looks like Rick from The Walking Dead, still plays bass while singing every note as you first heard them so many years ago. Their biggest hit was UNDER THE MILKY WAY which was received with much glee from the crowd. Many of the songs were familiar, but I can't recall any other titles.  What I DO recall was their hasty retreat from stage. While performing their closing song the stage crew started dismantling their set. I mean WHILE they were performing the crew started removing anything and everything that wasn't required for that song. So the keyboards were taken down, unneeded mics, amps, even half of the drum set?!?! It was odd to witness such a thing, but I recalled what I was told about this being a union run venue and everything ran on schedule. So there it was. They finished their performance and were cleared off stage in a jiffy. 

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS took the stage sometime around 9:30. I was surprised to find out in my research that most of the band has ties going back to their hey-day back in the 1980s. 

They are methodical and tight when they play. No nonsense. This band hits the stage, plays their songs, they are clearly enjoying themselves, and don't waste time with banter. You get a solid performance of hits. If you were expecting Heartbreak Beat, Love My Way, The Ghost In You, and Pretty In Pink, you were happy with the show. 

Richard's voice, still has his signature harshness to it. Tim is fairly animated and his bass sound is quite good. The Butler Brothers are the backbone of this band. Amanda Kramer, who started her musical career in INFORMATION SOCIETY, has been behind the keyboards for years the Furs for years. She hits every note as it was originally played. Mars Williams has been their sax man since the 80s, and has a great sound and stage presence. At 41, guitarist Rich Good is the new guy in the band. He has a good sound and always has a big smile on his face. The last time I saw The Furs I commented how Rich looks a lot like Whitney Cummings. He still does. Paul Garisto has been behind the drums since 1986. What I find amazing is that over the years his kit has gotten smaller, but his sound has gotten fatter. There's nothing like a band with a rich drum sound to really drive the music.

They completed their set after 10:30. I had AFTER-SHOW passes, but only stayed around to chat with Mr. Garisto for a little while before heading home.

One night, two great bands putting on some fun performances to invoke your fondest memories of the 80s. This was a good time!

All photos by BAXOJAYZ, taken with a Nokia 635 5MP WinPhone.

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